Gelato al limon…

Carmel, California, September 18, 2015—

ANOTHER WEEKEND, another road trip: this time to LAX again, to send a nephew home to Australia. We will miss him, but the road trip will be fun, and tonight's supper made a good end to the first day.

In the old days we spent a week in this town every summer, attending the Bach Festival, and dining was just above mediocre, with one exception, Raffaello's: an Italian restaurant that required jacket and tie and served up a fine zabaglione. Those days are long gone, all of them; the town is casual to the point of unpleasant, and commercial to a fault. But there's a cozy new eatery a little off the main drag, and there we had pasta and dessert.

For me, strozzapreti with a quite nice Bolognese with the usual flaws — too much carrot, no brain — and for dessert… well, on a warm night, what better than gelato al limon, gelato al limon, gelato al limon…

The gelato was a perfect consistency, bright with acid, smooth on the tongue, and came in a good-sized hollowed-out lemon wearing its cap at a jaunty angle. Nothing needed to complement it but a grappa or limoncello. Alas, this place has no liquor license… still… 

white, then red; both by the glass; both Italian and in very good condition — alas, I forgot to note the names…

•Il Grillo, Mission Street between 4th and 5th, Carmel; 831-238-9608
☛Restaurants visited in 2015 are listed at Eatingday's Restaurants